Wallace died earlier this year at age 93, and his wife, Mary Yates, lived at the apartment until her death in September at age 83. According to NY Times writer Robin Finn, the Wallaces opted to meticulously keep the apartment to its original standards instead of gutting the place:

Graciously appointed, No. 15-16A was carved from a 12-room apartment and retains ample architectural detail and charm: the ceilings are high, the grand staircase is curving, French doors connect the library and the master bedroom to terraces on both levels, and elaborate variegated plaster moldings and wood floors accentuate all the principal rooms except the eat-in kitchen, which is floored in vintage cork.

Unlike some other grand spaces at this address, the apartment has seen preservation take precedence over renovation. Modernization has largely been limited to the four and a half baths and the installation of air-conditioning. The monthly maintenance fee is $8,822.”